


Unicorn Tolerance

by tieflel



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Gen, King D6 AU, PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 11:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15072518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tieflel/pseuds/tieflel
Summary: Aren't we allowed the little things?





	Unicorn Tolerance

Five awoke to blurred vision and aching knuckles. His head spun, he felt sick and weak, and this would normally worry him if he didn't know Two was around last.

He returned his head to his body. He was still worried.

Something other than exhaustion hung over him, making his shoulders tense, putting him on his guard. He couldn't say what. His eyes darted around the room, surveying for something. Danger? Probably. But he found a note instead.

Five approached the desk in his office, or, well, their office, brushed a pack of gum to the side, and picked up the note.

'The chess board is in the bottom drawer. Whoever I roll goes first. No questions. -2'

Five couldn't help but smile. This was quite the idea. After choosing a stick of gum to ready, he brushed the papers on the messy oak desk to the side, some sheets fluttering to the floor. He scooped the chess set out from the bottom drawer of the desk and set it up. Without hesitating, Five pulled a pad of paper from the desk and moved the pen Two used over by it. He rubbed his knuckles before moving a pawn forward two spaces, and scribbled on the pad of paper.

'Do you think you punched the wall enough times? Is there something on your mind? Also I have to say, a game of chess is one of your better ideas. The gum and sides situation is unfortunate, though. -5'

Big notes made for conversation, he hoped. Five spat the gum out into his hand, sighing and shaking his head. And with every ounce of disgust in the world, he stuck it to his face and rolled his head.

*****

It was like nothing happened. The gap in his memory was brief, which was the only thing that made it feel strange. 

Five picked up his head, plucked the soggy gum on two pip side and flicked it into a bin by the desk. He noted what Two had done. A pawn moved two spaces forward. Documents organized by the chess board. The pad of paper placed to the side. The pen capped. It all brought a smile to Five's face. And then he read the note Two left.

'I really don't mind chatting with you, but in this specific situation, god fucking damn it. This is going to be awful and I hate gum as it is. In any case, no, I did not "punch the wall enough". Yes there is something on my mind. No I won't talk about it. And all my ideas are good. Lastly, I'm sorry about the usual stuff. I tried to sleep, at the very least. It didn't go well, as usual. -2'

Five's expression started as a smile, which grew as he read the note and diminished as he got towards the end. His shoulders slumped and sighed heavily. He moved a neighboring pawn forward one space, just to the lower left of the first, and began to carefully write his response.

'I'm not a fan of gum either, honestly. Mustache and all. Sleep always has been difficult for you, hasn't it? Even when we were young. Those dang nightmares of yours must really get to you. -5'

He pulled a piece of gum out, chewing it while he read over the note. It didn't sound forceful, he thought. It looked just fine. He pressed the wad of gum to his face, grimacing, and rolled his head again.

*****

And he returned, with a headache this time. Five huffed and returned his head to his body, disposing of the gum again. He rubbed his eyes and checked Two's moves. Why on Earth did he move a knight? That wasn't his usual strategy, from what he knew. He didn't make a move yet in favor of reading the note.

'Wow, I can already see what you're doing. The problem with this is the question is "Who owns the problem?" and it's supposed to be either "you" or "them". But! In this sorry, pathetic case, it's both! Don't think I don't see you trying to validate me. And I know it's supposed to help, but for some reason it pisses me the fuck off. I don't need your validation. I don't need anyone's validation. I know what I'm feeling and it's fine. -2'

Below was some more, scribbled as if it were an afterthought.

'You help a lot. I just am bothered. A lot. You know? Yes, nightmares bug me. They were different when I was little. The reoccurring one now is. It's hard to process. That's all I'll say about it.'

Five contemplated what to write in response to that. It was a bit unexpected, and he didn't quite notice what he had done until he reread. He grabbed a stick of gum and started to chew it. There was nothing wrong with validation, he thought, but there was something else involved in that.

'So we both own the problem. I can agree to that wholeheartedly. So. The situation is a bit scary. It has me on edge, tired, hungry, and distracted. As you implied, it's not just your stress, it's mine too. I feel worried, I want to try to help you through this so that we can all try to heal. It's in the best interest for everyone, after all. It might help you sleep better, and honestly I'm sure getting some things off your chest will be a relief for Three. I know this is hard for you to talk about and that it's easier to not, but it really is important. Your feelings are important, and saying they aren't, by your implications, is saying mine aren't. You're going through a lot. And you mean the world to me, so I would love nothing more than to try to help.'

With that written, he hurriedly moved another pawn two spaces forward, stuck the gum to his cheek, and rolled his head.

*****

Five was back again, and his head ached and he felt heavy with emotion. He grabbed his head discarded the gum, and looked at the scene. A random pawn moved. The papers a bit disheveled. The note hurriedly scribbled down. He took a deep breath, sat down, and started to read.

'I was about to get mad at you, and I mean furious. Then I noticed you made a mistake. You used a "but" statement rather than an "and" statement. That comforted me. It's reassuring to know that you're not perfect. You don't do everything the Amazing Perfect Healthy Five Way. You make mistakes too. And yes, it's hard to talk about what's bothering me, so I'm easing into it. And I might stop. Because. This is difficult to cope with.'

Five furrowed his brow as he read. He couldn't help but laugh at the random capitalization that he knew all too well wasn't random. He sighed, his shoulders relaxing. Two was going to try. That was more than he could've asked for.

'My way is not the perfect way to do things. I will admit, it's kind of by definition the "right way" but it's also the way that takes a lot of practice that only I put in. But you're right. I make mistakes. We all do. I'm sorry if I've acted like I'm always right or insinuated that being healthy is easy or anything. And for the record, I'm not healthy. I'm just as scared and hurt and traumatized as you are. As we all are. I'm glad making a mistake comforted you, I really am. And you know I'm here for you. I'm more than ready to try to help you. To help us. And you can't know how much I appreciate you trying. So thank you for all of your honesty and feel free to tell me what you're ready to say.'

Five pulled a stick of gum and chewed it while he reread the note. Was it okay? He hoped to fuck it was. After a brief glance at the board, he moved his bishop out four spaces before sticking the gum to his face and rolling his head.

*****

Five returned to an awful headache, a foggy, not-quite-there feeling, and a huge mess. Papers were strewn about the desk, the board looked liked it had been lifted, with the pieces piled on the desk and scattered on the floor. The drawers were barely closed, the contents inside shuffled around, and there was a lockbox on the chair with a key resting on top. The urge to open it was there, but he had to read the note first.

'I know. I know all that I just. Don't even feel adequate.'

After a few lines of scribbled out bits of sentences, there was more.

'The parents didn't like my hobbies when we were little. They were bad. Sinful. I would go to Hell if I kept engaging with them. The thought made me sick and scared.'

There were scribbles by the note. Five could tell he wanted to hide that too. But there was more.

'There's a box. I'm not ready to talk about it. Which is stupid. And I'm not ready for you to open it. But do it anyway. I'm sorry.'

Five took a deep breath and set down the pad of paper. The mention of their parents always made him queasy. He stared at the box for a long moment before opening it.

And inside were drawings. A lot of crude doodles of Two, smiling, for once, and in every single one of them, there was a purple wizard hat on his head. There were doodles of dragons, what he thought were gryphons, doodles of the others, Four looked like a bard, Three looked like some kind of nature wizard. Druid, that's the word. There were drawings of unicorns, characters he didn't quite recognize. Did Two keep these from their childhood? 

Five's breathing hitched and he finally noticed he was a sobbing mess. He dried his eyes on his sleeve. Two was lurking. It was emotional. It was terrifying.

There was a note taped to the lid. Why he didn't notice at first, Five didn't know. But he read Two's neat handwriting.

'The thing I've been trying to beat to death. The soft creature that I used to be. The better animal I used to be.'

Memories pulled Five to the past, to a time he wasn't himself, feeling intense emotions that weren't his, looking at parents he would never call his own, hiding a fear that he knew all too well. And there was fantasy, there was escape and stories and songs and happiness and it was all forbidden. Because he would go to Hell. Because he was bad. Because he was broken. 

And Five was back, kneeling on the floor, not quite remembering sitting down like this. He swiped at his eyes and got to his feet. After a few deep breaths, he grabbed the pad of paper and started drawing. He wasn't the best and didn't know much about the fantasy that Two loved so much, but it was at least recognizable.

There was everyone. One dressed a bit like a wizard, more scrappy, in Five's opinon. Three looking like mother nature threw up on him. Four in the bard's garb. Five himself looking like some kind of healer. Six in a dark thief's outfit with that precious grin. And Two surrounded by everyone, smiling, in his purple wizard hat.

'Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.'

And Five stuck the gum to his face and rolled his head. It was truly all he could do. The rest was up to Two.

But he wasn't worried.

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is (obviously?) based off the tmg song kind of.  
> https://youtu.be/chbuhL2L4pY
> 
> i'll have y'all know i cried writing this because. *winks* same trauma
> 
> king d6 au belongs to tomorobo, check out their patreon --> https://www.patreon.com/tomorobo


End file.
